CEC refused to purchase new generation electronic ballot boxes for 2.3 billion rubles "due to the current situation"

In mid-September 2022, it became known that the CEC refused to acquire new generation electronic ballot boxes, since the commission could not find a supplier that would meet the requirements of public procurement. At the same time, the Government of the Russian Federation did not allow redirecting funds reserved for this project for other purposes.

{{quote 'As Ella Aleksandrovna (Pamfilova - chairman of the Central Commission - approx. TAdviser) said, due to the current situation, we were not able to implement this point, and there were no organizations that would fulfill the requirements of our technical task, - said the head of the federal center for informatization at the CEC Alexander Sokolchuk (quote from TASS). }}

CEC refused to acquire new generation electronic ballot boxes, as the commission could not find a supplier

According to him, the government refused the CEC to redistribute money allocated for ballot processing complexes (KOIB-2022) for other purposes. The funds will return to the budget, the cost of automation of the CEC in 2022 will decrease from 3.7 billion to 1.5 billion rubles.

Despite the statements of the CEC, two potential suppliers of KOIBs reported interest in the supply of KOIBs. JSC United Instrument-Making Corporation (part of Rostec) sent a letter to the Central Election Commission expressing its readiness for supplies.

"The necessary technological capabilities for the production of KOIBs are currently available," the Rostec press service said in mid-September 2022.

As RBC points out, the CEC was supposed to conclude a contract for the manufacture and supply of KOIBs in 2022 in the amount of almost 2.3 billion rubles. It was about 10 thousand new complexes, Sokolchuk specified.

By mid-September 2022, the CEC has about 5 thousand. KOIB-2010 and about 13 thousand. KOIB-2017. Earlier, Pamfilova announced the plans of the CEC by 2022 or 2023 to increase the number of ballot processing complexes in elections to 25 thousand units.^[1]

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